Monday with Jesus During Lent

For our weekly video telling with Q&A commentary we decided to leave the lectionary during Lent and instead do stories from Mark’s passion, death, and resurrection narrative. They are powerful stories, and most don’t get sufficient attention in the lectionary. Besides, Tom wrote a book about them, published by Wipf & Stock in 2015 and entitled The Messiah of Peace: A Performance-Criticism Commentary on Mark’s Passion-Resurrection Narrative.

Come to the Mountain on Valentine’s Day

This year the last Sunday in the season after Epiphany falls on Valentine’s Day, which also happens to be my youngest child’s birthday. An extra, EXTRA special day this year. The story is from Mark 9, about the time Jesus took Peter, James, and John for a mountaintop experience.

The story of the transfiguration follows the first prophecy of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection and his commission to the disciples to take up their cross and follow him. The transfiguration establishes Jesus’ divinity, his unique relationship with God.